Pic of the Day – Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Schirrmann’s Nordlicht’

This little Metaseqouia or dawn redwood selection was found as a witch’s broom mutation on a branch of ‘White Spot’ in Germany. It makes a small, upright conifer but we haven’t grown it long enough to estimate the size (one source says 2.5′ in 10 years, ours is already that big after 2 years in the ground). Creamy variegation pops in the landscape and ours has tolerated full sun quite well. We imagine it will thrive in damp soils like most Metasequoia but ours has been vigorous even in a fairly dry spot. Dawn redwood is a deciduous conifer so it turns beautiful russet in the fall before it drops its needles. It is also sold as ‘North Light’ in the US.